Customer Reviews

Almost Perfect (Perfect Trilogy, Book 1)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

ALMOST PERFECT is a great example of storytelling at its best. Ortolon captures the true emotion of love lost and found. This is a heartwarming demonstration of true love; even if our characters do not want to admit it at first. Just because Maddy and Joe haven't seen each other for years, doesn't mean their attraction has died. If anything, they are hyperaware of how things used to be.

It takes courage to face our worst fears, admit them and then do something about them. Not only does Maddy have an obligation to her friends, in their challenge; Joe has his own fear to face. In fact, I know this is "Maddy's story" but it was Joe who captured my heart. He loved Maddy so much, years ago, and she turned him away. Of course he's afraid to trust her with his heart again and Ortolon does not make their struggle to trust each other easy. These characters have to earn their Happily Ever After. I'm certain that's what makes this book so meaningful and gives it such depth. There's no fluff here. Yes, there are funny scenes, but these are "real people" with real emotions and no easy fixes. There are very poignant scenes in this book, that challenge the reader and make them aware that love isn't always easy, it's often uncomfortable, but true love is always worth it!

Well done, Ms. Ortolon!

Three best friends,former college roommates are thrilled for their author-friend/roommate on her best selling book, until they realize that she used them as examples of ... what NOT to do. They reluctantly decided she may be correct, so they set out to conquer their fears and hopefully reach their ultimate goal.

Joe and Maddy made me laugh, cry and want to shake some sense into them. In my opinion, that is a mark of an excellent book, where the writer engrosses the reader to the point where the reader is feeling what the characters are feeling. This book, I was unable to put down. A definite keeper!

I am eagerly waiting to read what happens to Maddy's other two friends, Christine and Amy as they struggle to overcome their fears as Julie Ortolon never disappoints. She is a must-read in my book.

I wish I had written this review a few months ago, when I read this book. I had never read a romance novel. I love adventure, battle, confrontation, and other guy stuff. I like to write fiction too, however, and happened to wonder what women as characters are actually like as depicted by women, for women. The novels I read are written by men, and depict women like other women have been depicted by other male writers these writers have read, to a great extent. Men are guessing when it comes to women, so I decided to read a romance novel, and since it was a trilogy, to buy all three.

This writer is a very good writer. She kept me turning the pages, and her prose is very moving. I like romance, but as a sub-plot to adventure. This was the first and only novel I've ever read which was focused almost totally on romance.

I'm not going to discuss the plot much. Presumably other reviewers have done that. What was interesting to me was what the women felt like, and how they talked to each other, or e-mailed with each other. I'm 61, so have a generation gap as well as a gender gap, but love is timeless, and adventure novels I read also deal with young, handsome men and young beautiful women.

Maddy is very appealing as a character, and very different from any depiction of a female I've ever encountered in a novel written by a male. These women are so different that I decided that it's probably better for male writers to keep creating females like they always have, since their readers might be kind of shocked if they portrayed women the way they actually are.

The male character is somewhat feminine, in my view. He's of course very physically masculine, and has the totally masculine history as an Army Ranger, but just as male writers create females the way they perhaps wish they were, female writers probably tend to create male characters the way they wish they were. This guy is so compassionate, loving, and great in almost every respect that I found it a bit unrealistic, and his obsession with love was a bit overdone, for me, as a male.

However, people vary infinitely, so such men certainly do exist, even if they are a bit rare; so given that we want a very appealing male character, I had no problem with it.

The author does need to learn a bit more about guy stuff. Her male character mentions that he saw the bullet which had struck him coming at him. That's impossible. Bullets travel at speeds of 3000 feet per second, and are very small. As a Vietnam veteran, I'm very familiar with this, and shooting; and if a writer is going to deal with ballistics and war, she should pay a bit more attention to it.

I had trouble putting the book down for the first half, and then was ready for them to get married, but Julie wasn't ready for that, and I did get a bit frustrated at all the problems which kept that from happening. I almost wanted to shout "Have pity on them. They've suffered enough."

Since this isn't the type of fiction I tend to enjoy, (or assumed I wouldn't for my whole life), I can't rare it 5 stars, since it's not as enjoyable to me as the kind of books I rate 5 stars. However, I almost gave it 5 stars, since for a book which contained almost none of the action and adventure I enjoy so much, I did enjoy it a great deal. She keeps you turning the pages, and writes very moving prose. She's simply a very good writer who wrote a very good story which kept me reading, and kept me entertained.

So much so, that a few weeks later, I picked up Just Perfect, and I read that one in a few days, so know about Christine, and inevitably I'll read too Perfect, to see what happens to Amy. My expectations were not high, and I was very surprised by how good this novel was; and at the same time I learned some things about the female mind, intellectually and emotionally, at least from the perspective of a popular writer who is a woman, and whose readers are women.

Mainly, I read a good story, and although I can't read these types of novels too often, it wouldn't surprise me if I read another one of hers at some point, after I finish this trilogy. I can't rate it for her readers, since I'm not a female, but as a reader of fiction, I thought it was very good.

Almost Perfect is an absolutely delicious book, perfect from beginning to end.

Three college roommates got to the book signing of now famous fellow roommate. Maddy, Christine and Amy find themselves as examples as those who let fears rule their lives. They each make a deal to face their biggest feat in one years time.

Maddy Mills has let her fears and life put her are on the back burner. Her dare is to get her art in a gallery. She accepts an art director's job at a summer camp near artist haven Sante Fe. This plan has one major snag, her old high school flame Joe runs the camp for his mom.

Joe Frazer was not happy that his mom hired Maddy for the camp. Granted it had been over fifteen years since Maddy tore his heart out but it was a deep hurt. Seeing Maddy day to day was bad enough, even worse was Joe still wants Maddy anyway he can get her.

Joe and Maddy call a truce when their passion is hotter then it was before. They have worked through some of their old issues but not all the ghost from the past have been laid to rest.

Julie Ortolon has written a wonderful, sizzling, heart warming tale. Her books are special that they will stay with you long after you have turned the last page. Looking forward to Christine and Amy's stories in the next few months.

I loved all three books in this trilogy. I think everyone wishes they had three good, lifelong friends. While each romance novel by itself is exciting, the bigger thrill is seeing each friend challenge one another. Their bond, and the men each end up with is what you read romance novels to achieve. That great feeling of contentment, excitement, and desire to have something similar in your own life. Great reads.

An easy read but too predictable. Yes, this is a romance novel, but there was just constant sex here and there. No substance, no struggle, no depth to the story. Man gets mad, woman gets mad, fight turns to passionate sex. Didn't see THAT coming. Oh wait, he's mad again. Well, you know how the story ends. I'm not saying this was a horrible read, but it's just not a great read. I'm glad it was free otherwise I would have been seriously annoyed I paid for this instead of something I may have really enjoyed reading.

I liked this book but felt it was predictable. I thought the will-he-or-won't-he rather overplayed, perhaps because our hero, Joe, tended to whine...a lot, as did our heroine. I did want to smack them and tell them to straighten up and act like the 30-somethings they were supposed to be. The ancillary characters were all well drawn, with distinct personalities that added to the story. This is probably one of the better plotted chick-lit novels I have read. So I'm really on the fence with this one. On the one hand the story kept me reading with interest but I was often annoyed with our H/h.

Maddy, Amy, Christine, and Jane were roommates in college ten years ago. Jane became a TV anchor, but has now just published her first self-help book "How To Have The Perfect Life". Maddy, Amy, and Christine are thrilled for Jane, until they realize that Jane has used their lives as bad examples! The three decide to prove Jane wrong. They each have one year to face their biggest fear.

Madeline "Maddy" Mills is the artist of the group. Amy and Christine decides that Maddy's challenge is to get a Sante Fe gallery to accept her art, on commission would be fine. To do so, Maddy decides to accept a job that Mama Fraser offered only a couple of weeks ago. She would go to Sante Fe for the summer months to be the Arts & Crafts Coordinator at Mama's camp site, Camp Enchantment. However, Maddy has no way of knowing that Mama Fraser didn't inform Joe, her son, that Maddy was coming.

Around the age of seventeen Joe had joined the military and planned to make it his career. He informed Maddy of his decision after he had already enlisted and proposed to her. But Maddy wanted art classes and had jut won a full scholarship, so she refused. After all these years, the alpha male side of Joe is still nursing hard feelings. Now, due to a knee injury, Joe is no longer with the Army Rangers. He is the Camp Director. When Maddy shows up, Joe wants nothing more than for her to turn around and leave. But of course Mama Fraser knows how to handle her son, so Maddy stays. And Maddie is out to prove to Joe that she is not the same scared teen he once knew.

**** This is the first book in the "Perfect" trilogy. Each book will be a stand alone tale. No need to wait a year between books either. Maddy's story is released in September, Christine's story is to be released in October, and Amy's tale will be told in November. One girl's story per month! Readers, that does not happen often enough.

If you have not read a book by this author, then you don't know what you are missing! Julie Ortolon has been blessed with the gift of what I call "Enchanted Writing". Try this title and see for yourself. Resistance will be futile. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This book was sitting in my kindle queue for at least 3 months i dont know why i waited so long to read it. i read it in 2 days and lost some sleep wanting to see it to the end. great characters that you end up loving with depth. he is a former Army Ranger (i am a sucker for a guy in uniform or out of his lol) she, now widowed wannabe artiest afraid to show her work, is his high school almost fiance meeting 15 years after she said no. there lots of moments when you just wanna yell at the couple "just say what is on your mind and all will be good" but it would be over in 5 chapter. and then you would miss out on some amazing moments when the heroin realizes life/love isnt perfect and simple but so worth the trouble. mix in beautiful description of the location of Santa Fa (makes me wanna move there) and some hot moments in the bedroom and you have one great read just be prepared, this is not a book to start reading when you need to get some sleep. and i just bought the next one in the series. and can't wait to start reading.

Three college friends are upset when a fourth friend writes a self-help book that includes personal stories about them as examples of what not to do. They decide to prove her wrong by facing their fears and vow to meet again in one year as changed women.

This is Maddy's story. She's a modern gypsy--long skirts, tank tops, and sandals. She's also an artist and a very independent woman. When she was 17, she was head over heels in love with Joe but turned down his marriage proposal because she was headed to collete and he was in the Army. Now she's single again (her husband died of cancer two years ago) with no children, and she's ready to get serious about her art career (which she put aside to care for her dying husband). A job offer arrives in the mail that could be the opportunity she's been waiting for. Joe's mother (with whom she's been in contact since high school) runs a summer camp in Santa Fe, and she is in need of an arts and crafts director. Santa Fe could be the perfect location to launch her art career, but there's one problem: she'll have to face Joe after 15 years of hurt. She accepts the job, and once she sees Joe again, decides she may be interested in rekindling their romance after all.

This is a great concept for a series. I love how the friends appear throughout the book, via emails and then in person at the end. It allows you to get to know the characters who will be featured in the next two books. I enjoyed Maddy and Joe's story, but there were some parts that were very frustrating. It begins when Maddy first enters the camp and sees Joe. He acts angry that she's there, but both of them are secretly remembering the past and imagining a sexual relationship with each other. They finally talk to each other, and he decides to help her get her work in an art gallery. He takes her to Santa Fe, where they visit several art galleries, have lunch, and then share a passionate kiss. When Maddy gets back to camp, she tells her friends she thinks she's falling in love with him. It was just too soon. After 15 years apart (and loving another man), all it takes is for Joe to kiss her and she's ready to pick up where they left off? Also, considering Joe is a disciplined military man who grew up in foster care, he's extremely sensitive...annoyingly so. He immediately wants commitment, a point I found unbelievable considering how hurt he was when Maddy turned down his proposal. If he's been nursing bitterness for 15 years, I don't think he's going to want to rush into a heavy relationship with her again.

There are minor complications for the couple, mostly as a result from a lack of communication, but they are very insignificant and the end result is as predictable as it gets. Sex seems to be the answer for Joe and Maddy, which is another problem I had with the story. They have sex too early, then Maddy gets upset with him and withholds sex, they make up when she offers sex again, and this establishes a pattern for them. If they spent a little less time having sex and a little more time talking to each other, it would have been a 4-star book. I'd enjoy more dialogue and fewer sex scenes.